1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lock systems for doors and, more particularly, to a shielding assembly that protects exposed portions of the lock system from moisture, and the like.
2. Background Art
Van-style vehicles are commonly made with a number of doors that can be repositioned, as by sliding and/or pivoting, to gain access to a cargo storage space. Vehicles of this type are commonly used in the trades to transport products, parts therefor, and tools. The van construction is desirable from the standpoint that it affords a substantial volume of storage space, yet is maneuverable much like a passenger vehicle, and can be relatively economically operated. Front and side doors permit convenient access to different regions of the storage space, thereby allowing substantially the entire cargo space to be practically utilized.
The convenience of multiple access doors also makes this type of vehicle vulnerable to theft. Company identification prominently displayed on the exterior of the vehicle provides a general indication of the potential contents of the cargo space to observers. Consequently, those purveying and servicing expensive equipment must often take extra precautions to deter thievery.
Rear access doors are commonly mounted in pairs and pivoted at their sides to open away from each other. This may expose a substantial unobstructed area for introduction of articles into, and removal of articles from, the storage space.
In one common construction, one of the doors in the pair is designed to be locked directly to the vehicle frame. A lock actuator is located on the inside of this door and can be accessed from within the storage space or from externally thereof with the other door open. The other door is in turn latched and locked relative to the door that is locked to the frame. The latching mechanism between the doors can be placed selectively in latched and latched and locked states. Typically, this lock feature is operational through a key externally of the vehicle.
Regardless of the quality of the latching assembly that is incorporated into the vehicle as original equipment, this type of structure is prone to being defeated by thieves. This has prompted the incorporation of a redundant locking system that is commonly seen on van doors on a large percentage of commercial vehicles.
In one exemplary form, a pair of brackets is provided and mounted, one each to the doors in the cooperating pair. With a decades-old design, these brackets are mounted facially to the external surfaces of the doors, as by bolts. The brackets have offset, apertured tabs/flanges that situate adjacent to each other with the doors in the closed state therefor. A lock component can then be directed through the aligned apertures to prevent opening of the doors.
One of the most common locks systems is what is known in the industry as a “puck” lock. A puck-shaped casing has a receptacle for the aligned bracket tabs/flanges. With the tabs/flanges within the receptacle, a bolt is repositioned to be directed through the aligned tab/flange apertures. The bolt may be repositioned through a push button assembly or key operated. In the former case, a key operated system can be incorporated to lock the bolt.
This type of lock system has been well accepted by the industry and has been quite effective in terms of deterring theft. However this system, like most, has some limitations, including some that compromise its effectiveness.
A would-be thief can attempt to defeat the above system by twisting the puck-shaped casing around its central axis. For example, an annular circumferential surface thereon lends itself to the placement of a conventional pipe wrench. By forcibly turning the thickened mass of the casing, one or more of the interacting components may be caused to fail. The failure may be the result of the severance of the bracket tabs/flanges, separation of the brackets from the vehicles doors, and/or failure of one or more components on the puck lock itself.
In spite of the limitations that the conventional puck lock has had for decades, the industry has contended therewith since no viable commercial solutions have been devised to date. Theft, however, continues to be a very significant problem with vans and a number of other types of vehicles that use this basic lock system configuration. The industry continues to seek system designs and modifications that make vehicles more secure against theft.
Another problem that has been contended with in the past is the detrimental exposure of the external lock system components to rain, snow, dirt, chemicals, etc. Particularly moisture exposure is a concern, since it may migrate, as through key slots, to cause rust and corrosion that may impair operation of internal components and potentially make the entire system inoperable.
Regular exposure to moisture, chemicals, and other airborne contaminants may also over time cause visible parts of the lock systems to be compromised in appearance. The exposed metal components are typically plated with a metal such as chrome that gives them an attractive appearance and also protects underlying metal. However, constant external exposure may cause peeling, corrosion, or discoloration of the lock system components that detracts from the overall appearance of the associated vehicle. This is particularly a problem with conventional systems in which the “puck” is located prominently near eye level for individuals standing near the vehicle or occupying other vehicles in the vicinity thereof.
To address this problem, it is known to design a separate enclosure that will cover all of the external components of the lock system. One such design utilizes a generally cup-shaped housing with an outturned flange having one or more magnetic components that will attract to the external vehicle surface to maintain the housing in place. The housing is made with an internal chamber that is substantially larger than the exposed components so that it can be easily pressed into place without interference from the lock components. While this design provides a reasonably effective shield for the exposed components, it has a number of drawbacks.
First of all, a tether is required in combination with the housing to avoid separation, and potential loss, of the housing. This requires that the tether can be fixed to the vehicle. Aside from the inconvenience, any place a component is required to be fixed to a vehicle represents a location at which the aesthetics of the vehicle may be compromised and the vehicle may be prone to rusting.
Further, the tether itself may represent a less than attractive addition to the vehicle.
Further, the magnetic holding of the housing requires a direct contact between a part of the housing and the finished external surface of the vehicle. Regardless of the tenacity of the attraction of the magnetic component(s) to the vehicle surface, there is the potential that the surface will be scratched or scuffed.
If the holding force is relatively weak, the housing is prone to either falling off or shifting during vehicle operation. The latter may cause a progressive wearing of the vehicle surface finish.
A stronger holding force may cause even more surface finish damage as the housing shifts during vehicle operation or is bumped or otherwise caused to be shifted while operatively positioned.
The potential for damage to the vehicle is increased with the housing dangling from a tether so that it might swing repeatedly against the vehicle to impact and potentially mark the vehicle surface.
Still further, regardless of how much focus is placed on designing the housing for convenient placement and separation, the need to handle the housing represents an inconvenience.
In the interest of convenience, as noted above, the housings are normally made to provide a chamber that is substantially larger than the exposed lock system components. This allows the user to conveniently place the housing over the lock system components without requiring any predetermined and precise alignment thereof. The result of this is that the housing becomes a relatively large addition to a vehicle.
Many businesses use their commercial vehicles to advertise their products and services. These vehicles are commonly adorned with advertising and identification materials. Consequently, the vehicles inherently project an image of the company. Thus, most owners and operators attempt to maintain their vehicles in a state that is as aesthetically appealing as possible. Thus, the use of an unsightly housing that may be functionally adequate may compete with this objective.
The industry continues to seek out lock systems for vehicles that are affordable, secure, resistant to deterioration over time, and do not detract significantly from the appearance of the vehicles upon which they are placed.